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Urban Interventions, Memories and Conflicts Black Heritage and the Revitalization of Rio De Janeiro’S Port Zone

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Urban Interventions, Memories and Conflicts Black Heritage and the Revitalization of Rio De Janeiro’S Port Zone Urban Interventions, Memories and Conflicts Black heritage and the revitalization of Rio de Janeiro’s Port Zone Roberta Sampaio Guimarães Abstract This paper discusses the creation of an arena for political and moral rec- ognition stirred by the “revitalization” of Rio de Janeiro’s Port Zone: the landmarking of Pedra do Sal as a “historic and religious Afro-Brazilian mon- ument” by residents who claimed legal ownership of several properties in the area, affirming that it is an “ethnic territory” and the site is “a remnant quilombo community.” The Quilombo of Pedra do Sal became one of the most controversial battles for ethnic recognition in Brazil, because it ex- plored possibilities for broadening the constitutional concept of a quilombo. These possibilities would include, the plea for recognition of an ethnic terri- tory in an urban context; the construction of a history of territorial occupa- tion based on mythological narrative; and a territorial demarcation based on a cultural heritage conceived as the remnant symbol of a generic “black city” and, therefore, without presumed heirs. Keywords: cultural heritage; Afro-Brazilian memory; urban interventions; Pedra do Sal; Little Africa; Port Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Resumo Este artigo aborda a formação de uma arena de reconhecimento político e moral movimentada durante a “revitalização” da Zona Portuária do Rio de Janeiro: o uso do tombamento da Pedra do Sal como “monumento histórico e religioso afro-brasileiro” por moradores que, reivindicando ser esse patrimô- nio o marco simbólico de uma “comunidade de remanescentes de quilombo”, pleitearam juridicamente a titulação de diversos imóveis da região como “território étnico”. No entanto, o Quilombo da Pedra do Sal se tornou um dos 208 vibrant v.10 n.1 roberta sampaio guimarães processos de reconhecimento étnico mais polêmicos da sociedade brasileira por explorar as possibilidades de flexibilização do conceito constitucional de “quilombo”. Entre essas possibilidades, a de pleito de um território étnico em contexto urbano; a de construção de uma trajetória de ocupação do território baseada em narrativa mítica; e a de delimitação desse território a partir de um patrimônio cultural concebido como símbolo do passado de uma “cidade negra” genérica e, portanto, sem herdeiros presumidos. Palavras-chave: patrimônio cultural; memória afro-brasileira; projetos urbanísticos; Pedra do Sal; Pequena África; Zona Portuária do Rio de Janeiro. urban interventions, memories and conflicts 209 Urban Interventions, Memories and Conflicts Black heritage and the revitalization of Rio de Janeiro’s Port Zone1 Roberta Sampaio Guimarães – UERJ Until the turn of the 21st century, Rio de Janeiro’s Port Zone was predominantly classified by the city’s moral geography as a region of prostitution, drug traffic and favelas. This notion, however, was transformed when the city government announced and implemented a comprehensive redevelopment plan2 for the area in an attempt to combat supposed “blight.” With improvements to the streetscape, a surge of bars and venues geared towards a middle class clientele, the renovation of townhouses to attract higher income residents, upgrades to the cruise ship terminal for the landing of international and domestic tourists, as well as the establishment of new cultural facilities, news began to emerge regarding some of the region’s sites, residents and “cultural heritage assets.” Despite the local nature of these transformations, researchers such as Saskia Sassen (1991) have pointed out that such rapid interventions in sup- posedly “blighted” urban areas are linked to an international race to attract capital, skilled labor, and large-scale events, such as the World Cup and the Olympics. In addition, these policies focus on central and port areas of cities, justified by the appreciation of what would be their unique historical and ar- chitectural character, although they also lead to commodified tourism, real estate speculation and gentrification3 (Smith 1987; McDonogh 2003). 1 This article was developed from fieldwork conducted between 2007 and 2009 and published in the doctoral thesis A Utopia da Pequena África. Os espaços do patrimônio na Zona Portuária carioca (“The Utopia of Little Africa: Heritage assets in Rio de Janeiro’s Port Zone”). An earlier version was presented at the symposium “The Anthropology of Objects: objectification, subjectification, and preservation” at the 54th International Congress of Americanists (Vienna, 2012). I would like to thank the coordinators of the seminar, José Reginaldo Santos Gonçalves and Els Lagrou, for their input, as well as that of João Paulo Castro, Alberto Goyena, Renata Menezes and the peer reviewers at Vibrant for contributions to this version. 2 The redevelopment plan encompassed the port neighborhoods of Saúde, Gamboa and Santo Cristo, and in 2001 was named Port of Rio: Recovery and Revitalization Plan for the Port Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Since 2009, it has been reformulated and renamed The Marvelous Port: – an Urban Operation through Consortium for the Special Planning Interest Area of Rio de Janeiro’s Port Region. 3 First used in 1963 by Ruth Glass in her study on working-class or low-income neighborhoods in 210 vibrant v.10 n.1 roberta sampaio guimarães – uerj In Brazil, the combination of large-scale urban redevelopment and the appreciation of “cultural heritage assets” has been the subject of several stud- ies (Arantes 2000; Magnani 2002; Guimarães 2004; Frúgoli, Andrade e Peixoto 2006; Leite 2007; Gonçalves 2007; Eckert 2010). These affirm that the creation of “revitalized” spaces generates local interventions and counter-discourses, sometimes sparking social movements that claim or rethink so-called “cul- tural,” “ethnic” or “minority” heritage sites. In addition to affirming the cul- turally diverse nature of Brazil, these movements tend to emphasize the con- flicts that heritage assets materialize. This paper reflects on an arena of political and moral recognition ignited by debate over a cultural heritage asset: the landmarking of Pedra do Sal as an “Afro-Brazilian historic and religious monument” by residents opposed to the “revitalization” of Rio de Janeiro’s Port Zone. These residents, claiming the site is the symbolic landmark of a “remnant quilombo community”4 filed a legal claim to ownership of several properties which they affirmed consti- tuted an “ethnic territory.” The Quilombo of Pedra do Sal became one of the most controversial battles for ethnic recognition in Brazil, , because it ex- plored possibilities for broadening the constitutional concept of a quilombo. These possibilities would include, the plea for recognition of an ethnic terri- tory in an urban context; the construction of a history of territorial occupa- tion based on a mythological narrative; and territorial demarcation based on a cultural heritage conceived as the remnant symbol of a generic “black city” and, therefore, one without presumed heirs. central London, the term gentrification has since defined the process of investment, rehabilitation and housing appropriation of these neighborhoods by the middle class (Bidou-Zachariasen 2006). 4 The political trajectory of the term “remnant quilombo community” evokes the Brazilian context of racial debates of the 1980s, when the Federal Constitution included an article that created differentiated political subjects who would be entitled to the permanent ownership of the land they occupied through deeds for State “ethnic recognition” (Article 68, ADCT). Before this constitutional definition, a quilombo was widely considered the place where runaway slaves lived during the colonial era, and whose main icons were the Quilombo of Palmares and its leader, Zumbi. After the legal definition was established, two different concepts were merged to redefine the category. The “remnant” concept was proposed to liken the black and indigenous situations, with the rhetorical belief of “the right to memory” at its core, aiming to preserve the site where “historical processes of dispossession” had taken place. The concept of “common land use” defined rural areas where basic resources were controlled by family groups and regulated by their own legal universes. And the concept of “ethnicity” defined a “quilombola community” as a group who considered themselves as such, had a referenced identity in shared experiences and values, and considered themselves different from other identities in the event of land conflicts. This definition was later expanded to include new categories: “quilombola communities” must also have “a unique historical trajectory,” “specific territorial relationships” and “black ancestry” (Arruti 2006). urban interventions, memories and conflicts 211 The creation, certification and dispute of the Quilombo of Pedra do Sal Pedra do Sal (Salt Stone) is located on Conceição Hill, a geographical eleva- tion of modest dimensions with about two thousand residents that is wedged between the neighborhoods of Saúde and Centro. Architecturally, single and two-story colonial houses dominate the area, with the exception of the foot of the hill, where mixed-use or commercial activities, such as bars, restau- rants, office supply, beverage storage, and body shops can be found. The rocky outcrop that connects Pedra do Sal’s upper and lower levels consists of a smooth and slippery surface, where a sculpted staircase facili- tates pedestrian circulation. On the lower level is the small square known as Largo João da Baiana. In the daytime, it is frequented by residents
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